By Michael A. Smith, MD

City dwellers, construction workers, mechanics — take notice: Your environment is quietly wreaking havoc on your immune system, and it may be preparing to attack itself. If you live or work in an industrial setting, the threat of an autoimmune disorder is something you should take very, very seriously.

Your body is designed to defend against a host of foreign invaders, but environmental toxins can quickly wear down your defenses. Add to the mix a poor diet and chronic stress, and it’s no wonder that autoimmune disorders are sharply on the rise.1

What is an Autoimmune Disorder?

Autoimmune disorders occur when the body's immune response is directed against its own tissues, causing prolonged inflammation and tissue destruction. Every organ is potentially at risk, including your brain, skin and joints.

Why does the immune system attack its own cells and tissues? No one knows exactly. However, we are quickly learning what puts us at risk for this kind of attack.

Are You At Risk?

Here are three major risk factors for an autoimmune disorder:

Heavy metal toxicity

Environmental pollution such as pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers

Industrial wastes and plastics

Each of these risk factors is related to an environmental condition. So what can we do about this, besides clean up our environment?

Detox is the Key Strategy

Since changing our living or working conditions probably isn’t an option for many of us, detoxification is the best way to protect against the buildup of these environmental toxins.

If you’re looking for a safe and effective way to detox, chelation therapy is well worth considering. This is a chemical process where a substance is used to bind molecules, like heavy metals or minerals, and hold them tightly so that they can be removed from the body.

For example, chelation therapy can help rid the body of toxic metals, such as lead and mercury.2 However, traditional chelation has been too expensive and inconvenient for most of us.

Fortunately, there’s now an easier way to get the benefits of chelation therapy by using modified citrus pectin (MCP), which is far less expensive and very easy to do.

Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP) – A Powerful, Natural Detox

Modified citrus pectin is a naturally occurring substance found in the cell walls of most plants, and it’s especially concentrated in the peel and pulp of citrus fruits, plums, and apples. It was first identified in 1825 and since then has demonstrated the following health benefits:3

Potent antioxidant

Maintains a healthy immune response

Supports healthy cell growth

Protects against environmental toxins, such as heavy metals & pesticides

As a matter of fact, a small pilot study evaluating MCP’s chelating effects offered evidence that orally administered MCP significantly increases urinary excretion of toxic metals,4 making it a great choice for anyone looking to combat the buildup of environmental toxins.

If you’d like more info on MCP, we published a great article about modified citrus pectin in our March 2009 magazine, which you can read here: Modified Citrus Pectin

Do you live or work in a toxic environment? Are you taking steps to protect against it? Please share your thoughts!

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comments:

The pollution does not only damage our lungs, it also damages our hearts and brain.At first many people believed that air pollution primarily affects our lungs but now the scientists discovered that air pollution is quite as damaging for our heart and brain.Air pollution has very negative toxic effect on human heart and people who already suffer from cardiovascular disease are particularly vulnerable to an increased level of pollutants in the air. The scientists have proved that air pollution can seriously injure the heart and blood vessels which can in some cases even lead to death.